DR Chamber of Commerce to expand membership to Guyanese businesses

With the aim of fostering trade and investment between the two countries, the Dominican Republic (DR) Chamber of Commerce in Guyana will soon be opening up its membership to businesses in Guyana.
This was announced by the Chamber’s Executive Director, Lilian Foo, on Thursday on the sidelines of the International Business Conference (IBC) which was held at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown from October 15 to 17.
According to Foo, “We recently concluded the process of recruiting our Board of Directors and we’re going to be ready to finally start accepting members from Guyana… The Guyanese business people that want to be part of this Chamber are going to be welcomed to start registering.”
The DR Chamber Guyana, which has been operational since February 2024, plays a pivotal role in fostering trade and investment between the Dominican Republic and Guyana. This expansion into Guyana is a strategic move aimed at creating more opportunities for businesses in both countries to grow and connect.
The DR Chamber of Commerce in Guyana and the Guyanese Chamber of Commerce in DR are two separate bodies operating under the same umbrella to create corporate synergies between the two countries.
In fact, the bilateral Chamber of Commerce representing Guyana and DR held its inaugural event in Guyana back in March of this year – the United Caribbean Forum.
According to Miguel Angel Gonzalez, who serves as President of both Chambers, the aim is to have one major event per year and have the Chambers support other planned events such as the IBC that resonates with the work they are doing.
Gonzalez explained that participating in events like the IBC provides opportunities to engage with both the local and international private sector.
“So, we have promoted events such as IBC in the Dominican Republic and there [was] a delegation here… We will continue to promote Guyana and promote the Dominican Republic,” he noted.
Prior to the setting up of the DR Chamber Guyana, Gonzalez was part of a 200-member private sector delegation from DR that had accompanied that country’s President, Luis Abinader, during a bilateral visit to Guyana in June 2023.
This was mirrored two months later when President Dr Irfaan Ali did a reciprocal visit to the DR with a delegation of nearly 100 private sector members.
Meanwhile, the DR Chamber Guyana is now looking to strengthen regional business ties and expanding collaborative efforts in neighbouring Suriname.
“All of the efforts that we’re doing for Guyana, we can replicate in Suriname… There are plenty of initiatives that we’ve started here that coincides with the trajectory that’s undergoing in Suriname,” Gonzalez said.
He pointed out that the same way they have been able to build connections here through Guyanese-motivated conventions like the IBC, they are targeting similar events in Suriname.
“So, we got to meet a plethora of individuals that are in different areas which we have interest in, which are very similar to the initiatives that were doing here. So, I think the stage was set for us to all meet and congregate,” Gonzalez noted.
The DR Chamber of Commerce was launched in February this year during the 2024 Energy Conference and Supply Chain in Georgetown with the aim of aggressively fostering business ties between the two countries and expand their products and services. (G8)